


mountains to climb

by justromandaydreams



Series: tis one thing to be tempted (another thing to fall) [2]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Freeform, Light Angst, Power Imbalance, complicated feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 05:51:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19350796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justromandaydreams/pseuds/justromandaydreams
Summary: Lewis gazes at him with the look of a man who has no more mountains to climb.





	mountains to climb

Charles is accustomed to certainty. He tackles obstacles with determination but also with calmness.

You can’t climb a mountain frantically. No matter how strong you are.

Frenzy leads to failure.

 

Charles is a mountain climber. He will not fall.

 

Then Lewis comes. With his five world titles and devil-may-care attitude ~~and odd attraction to Charles.~~

 

Charles wonders briefly if it is a test. Is he a toy to Lewis? Something to be kept on the shelf and eventually discarded?

 

 

But after ~~h~~ e his engine fails in Bahrain, Charles finds he might not care.

Is it oh so awful to want to be appreciated ~~loved~~? Even if just for a moment.

 

 

Monaco is heartbreaking. He wants to be angry with his team. To blame someone for the disastrous qualifying.

Then Sunday comes. And he is angry. But this time he has someone to blame.

 

Himself.

 

Charles looks at Lewis after the race. Is he disappointed? But Lewis is busy celebrating.

Why would he, should he care? The champion had reached his summit long ago.

 

Charles sometimes wonders what would happen if he just stopped. Let go. If he let himself fall. Could he live without achieving the summit?

~~Would he want to?~~

He wonders what would happen if he let himself be weak.

 

But Charles is strong. Selfless. He continues the climb. Not just for himself but for all those he lost. 

 

He is ~~haunted~~ driven by their ghosts.

 

Charles pushes himself so hard that his hands blister and bleed and crack after countless laps in the simulator.

Then he knows he’s alive

 

~~and alone.~~

 

He will reach the peaks they never got the chance to.

 

 

 

France has echoes of Bahrain. There is more talking and touching. ~~Toying.~~

 

Charles ignores him.

 

His celebration is not with the world champion. It is with his team. Whom he trusts and who trust him.

Who respect him.

 

But Lewis is unavoidable.

Charles has a sense that he does not have a choice. The hands on his shoulders and waist are ~~uncomfortably~~ possessive.

 

He should pull away. Have some decorum.

But it’s easier to allow himself this little indulgence of pleasure and pride.

 

 

Would they want him living like this? A perfect statue hewn by tragedy. Longing for support that was too soon severed.

 

Could Lewis give him that support? What would he ~~demand~~ ask in return? What would Charles deny him? 

 

 

Charles can feel Lewis’s eyes on him after the press conference. He turns ready to confront Lewis in a way he has thus far been denied on track.

But then they lock eyes and the world tilts.

 

He stares at the ground as it falls out beneath him. There is no escape. ~~But does he really want one?~~

 

Hand touches cheek and Lewis gazes at him with the look of a man who has no more mountains to climb. 

 

Then his name is called in the distance. Reminding him of all he has to lose.

Or to gain.

Charles considers ignoring it.

 

 

 

But only for a second.

 

He ducks under Lewis and ~~flees~~ leaves.

 

Charles doesn’t bother to turn back. Why should he?

 

 

 

 

 

The mountains are calling.

**Author's Note:**

> A new metaphor for this chapter. I don't know why but I struggled more with this one. So I'm sorry if it's not as good. I'm considering continuing after this. Maybe follow them through the season. Would you guys be interested in that?


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